With all the ski resorts of Europe now closed, and the season in North America winding down, a skiing post may seem irrelevant. However, most keen skiers will already be thinking about the search for fresh tracks, and planning next seasons foray on the pistes.

Family Nordic Skiing at Guils Fontanera, Catalonia Fancy a skiing holiday without the cost of a lift pass or the queues to get on the mountain? Have you thought about trying Nordic skiing? It's a peaceful, bonding, more natural experience than its downhill sister. But be warned; it is more challenging than it first appears, [...]

Girona happens to be an impressively well-located region where white mountain peaks of the Pyrenees get to meet with the crunchy beaches of the Costa Brava in a delightful mix of rural landscape, traditions, language and culture. For all these reasons I have had an intense experience while discovering the area as I usually do: with my senses completely activated to the top.

The attractive village of Camprodon in the Catalan has enough to keep a curious visitor busy for an afternoon, especially when a knowledgeable guide is on hand to provide an informative narrative relevant to each point of interest. Strolling through the narrowstreets is like taking a walk through the history of the region.

Are your family activities lacking in the wow factor? One way to pep them up is to do them at a different time of day. Especially at night, where a veil of darkness can turn an everyday activity or location into a new and exotic experience.

We were recently in The Pyrenees. The sun was golden and the skies were blue. The apres ski was affordable. The runs were quiet and seemingly endless, and most of the time there were no queues for the lift. Yes, I said The Pyrenees. In the school holidays.

Spain may not spring to mind when thinking of wildernesses, but Vall de Núria , hidden away in the Catalan Pyrénées , provides an unexpected encounter with wild Europe. There are only two ways to reach this sanctuary; by rack railway, or on foot.

Repeating an experience, especially in exactly the same place, may seem an unnecessary indulgence. When the experience is a hot air balloon flight in the La Garrotxa region of the Catalan however, it is anything but a waste of time.